Royal Caribbean International's newest cruise ship, Allure of the Seas arrived at her homeport of PortEverglades in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, on Veterans Day, amidst thousands of U.S. flags and hundreds of onlookers— including Royal Caribbean executives and employees, community organizations and residents, as well as a flotilla of maritime escorts made up of fireboats and private watercrafts. The second of the cruise line's Oasis-class ships made her U.S. debut following a 13-day transatlantic journey from Turku, Finland.
The Oasis-class ships will make history once again when Allure of the Seas is joined by famed sister-ship Oasis of the Seas for a one-of-a-kind visual of the world's two largest ships together for the first time, Saturday, November 13, at 5:30 p.m. ET. They will meet off the Florida coast, where Oasis of the Seas guests will flank the top decks to wave at the crew onboard Allure and get an up close and personal peek at the world's newest cruise ship.
In the upcoming week, the ship will be buzzing with activity first with hundreds of landscapers boarding the ship to add more than 12,000 live plants to the ship's Central Park neighborhood as well as other final preparations. NBC's "TODAY" broadcast the fourth hour of its show live from Allure Friday, as Kathie Lee Giffod and Hoda Kotb unveiled the diverse line-up of entertainment and onboard amenities that differentiate. The inaugural activities and events can be followed via webisodes at www.allureoftheseas.com, on Facebook (Royal Caribbean International) and via Twitter by following @OasisandAllure and @RoyalCaribbean. Followers are encouraged to include #Allure in tweets.
In addition to the signature Oasis-class neighborhood design with spaces like Central Park and the Coney Island-style Boardwalk, complete with a hand-carved carousel and an AquaTheater, Allure's distinct personality takes center stage presenting new features such as:
* New entertainment offerings including the launch of a partnership with DreamWorks Animation and the Broadway hit, Chicago: The Musical
* 26 dining options including the first Starbucks at sea, a new spin on fine dining at 150 Central Park conceptualized by The Culinary Institute of America alumna Molly Brandt, who was recently named Chef de Cuisine as the winner of the "Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge," as well as the Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse, Rita's Cantina Mexican cuisine and The Boardwalk Dog House
* A wide array of retail options including a BRITTO Gallery fashioned by pop artist Romero Britto and GUESS Accessory boutique
* Innovative technology features such as a 3-D movie theater, iPod docks in suites, self service kiosks and digital way finding signage for guests
The official naming ceremony for Allure of the Seas will take place on November 28 during a one-night inaugural celebration fundraiser to benefit the United Way chapters of Miami-Dade and Broward counties and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Haiti Fund, among other charities. The godmother of Allure of the Seas will be unveiled during the special ceremony which will be streamed live at 4:30 pm on www.allureoftheseas.com. Tickets for the momentous event begin at $750 per person. For reservations to this exclusive one-night sailing, contact the United Way of Miami-Dade at 305-646-7000 or the United Way of Broward at 954-462-4850 or visit www.unitedwaycharitycruise.org. A special four-night sailing on December 1 will call at the cruise line's private beach destination of Labadee, along the north coast of Haiti, and Allure of the Seas' inaugural seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary will depart on December 5.